5 CU Professionals Honored for Excellence & 2 Appointed to Boards

WEST

The $3.4 billion, Albuquerque, N.M.-based Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union announced two promotions.

Diane Kapuranis was promoted to the newly-created position of SVP, mortgage and consumer lending. Kapuranis joined SLFCU in 1986, having previously worked for a credit union while in college and after graduation. She has filled various roles at the credit union including loan officer and branch manager, and most recently served as vice president of lending. In her new role, she will continue to grow the credit union’s consumer and mortgage loan division as well as educate members on their financial options.

Dan Cover was promoted to the newly-created position of SVP, business services. Cover has been in the financial services industry for 37 years and a member of SLFCU’s business services team since 2009. Prior to his promotion, he served as vice president of business services.

MIDWEST

The $2.9 billion, Muskego, Wis.-based Corporate Central Credit Union promoted Orianna Valentine to marketing strategist. In her new role, Valentine will enhance the organization’s sales and member engagement efforts through marketing campaigns, and work to increase lead-generation results by initiating new and collaborative strategies between the marketing and sales employees. In addition, she will become actively involved with the member and service onboarding process through increased communication strategies; continue to manage the organization’s email marketing and social media campaigns; engage with appropriate credit union marketing trade organizations to develop effective paid marketing campaigns; and collaborate across departments to research, develop and curate relevant content for Corporate Central and its family of CUSOs. Valentine joined Corporate Central in 2019 as a part-time email marketing coordinator intern and became a full-time marketing communications coordinator in 2020. She previously served as a public-school art teacher in Wisconsin’s West Allis-West Milwaukee School District.

John Sackett, board member for the $4.4 billion, Eau Claire, Wis.-based Royal Credit Union and president of the credit union’s RCU Foundation, received the 2022 Distinguished Director Award at the CUES Member Appreciation and Awards Event. The CUES Distinguished Director Award honors strong volunteers whose achievements have strengthened their credit union. Sackett has served on the Royal board of directors since 1984 and helped establish the RCU Foundation in 2012. He also serves on the CUNA board of directors and is vice chair of the National Credit Union Foundation board.

Kristen Davidson, vice president of organizational development for the $2 billion, Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Consumers Credit Union, was honored with the Ambassador Award from HRUnite!, a national community of human resources professionals. The award recognizes an individual who tirelessly volunteers their time to promote the HR community in a program that encourages professional development. Since joining Consumers 2013, Davidson has worked to drive the credit union’s DEI initiatives and assisted with the launch of the credit union’s employee leadership training.

CUSOS

Linda Bodie, CEO of the $49 million, Charleston, W.V.-based Element Federal Credit Union, was named chair of the board of CU*Answers, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based technology and operations CUSO. She replaces Scott McFarland, CEO of the $1.5 billion, Berrien Springs, Mich.-based Honor Credit Union.

Student lending CUSO Credit Union Student Choice appointed Brian Volkmann, EVP and CFO for the $3.8 billion, St. Paul, Minn.-based Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, to its board of directors. Affinity Plus first partnered with Student Choice in 2008 when the CUSO was founded; the credit union offers in-school private student loans as well as Student Choice’s student loan refinance solution.

LEAGUES

The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues announced several award recipients who were honored at its REACH 2022 conference, held Nov. 2-4 in Palm Desert, Calif.

Jeff Napper, president/CEO of the $2 billion, Westminster, Calif.-based LBS Financial Credit Union, received the 2022 Leo H. Shapiro Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the League’s highest recognition, honoring excellence in credit union philosophy and a lifetime of contributions to the California credit union movement. It is named after Leo H. Shapiro, father of the California credit union movement and founder of the California Credit Union League.

Javier Velasquez, director of branches for the $989 million, Irwindale, Calif.-based SCE Federal Credit Union, was the first-place winner in The Pitch, the first-ever “Shark Tank”-like game show held during REACH 2022. Velasquez won $10,000 after he and “Visionary” contestants from other credit unions pitched their mission-driven ideas to a panel of “Champion” judges in front of a live audience. He unanimously won votes from all four Champion judges as well as a majority of the live audience’s vote (48%). He will use the $10,000 to kickstart his “Amigos” community hub – an innovative concept that has the potential to be blueprinted at SCE FCU and replicated as a fun, unique, philanthropic model for other credit unions across California, Nevada and the nation.

Alex Becerra, relationship manager for the $4.3 billion, Folsom, Calif.-based SAFE Credit Union, received the Star of Tomorrow Award based on his work with SAFE’s Workplace Financial Wellness team, his leadership in launching and co-hosting the Perfect Cents Podcast, and his work in the community. He leads crucial relationships with eight chambers of commerce, including the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce and Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and is SAFE’s relationship manager with the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, which he works with on projects that align with SAFE’s mission to foster financial wellness.

TRADES

The National Credit Union Foundation hired Jamie Chandler as FinHealth director. In her new role, Chandler will lead the Foundation’s efforts to strengthen the understanding and support of financial well-being across the credit union movement. She will also oversee the operations and outputs of the FinHealth Fund, a designated, restricted fund held at the Foundation. Chandler, an Army veteran, most recently served as senior financial health program specialist at the $3.8 billion University Federal Credit Union in Austin, Texas, where she also served as a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor for employees.

Please send your People news items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.